By Li Han

Staff Writer of the Tsinghua News Center

World-renowned economist and Nobel Prize winner Joseph E. Stiglitz visited Tsinghua on March 17 and delivered a speech on the subject of China’s 11th Five-Year plan.

The speech, titled “Remarks on China’s 11th Five-Year Plan: Another Major Step in China’s Transition to a Market Economy,” attracted about 700 students and teachers from Tsinghua University, Peking University, Renmin University and Beijing Normal University.

During his speech, which lasted for more than an hour, Professor Stiglitz commented on the social and economic development that is scheduled for China’s11th Five-Year plan period (2006-2010). He noted that the plan combines a comprehensive, pragmatic blueprint with a vision, and serves as a guide for the country as it takes its next steps in development.  

Professor Stiglitz briefly discussed a few of the topics that are taken up in the 11th Five-Year plan, such as the environment, natural resources and education, and also talked about the successes and challenges that China has encountered during its economic development. He later answered several questions from the students.

Vice President Xie Weihe met with Professor Stiglitz prior to the speech.

Professor Stiglitz won the Nobel Prize in economics in 2001.